The Most Overused LinkedIn Profile Buzzwords of 2013

Would you describe yourself as a responsible, strategic and creative employee? How about an innovative organizational expert? If these descriptors are leaving you with a bogus taste in your mouth, it’s probably because you’ve got a refined pallet for all of the silly business jargon flooding the professional world, especially online.

For the past few years, LinkedIn has been conducting a yearly study to determine what the top 10 most overused buzzwords of the year are. Coming in at #1 was “Responsible,” which was actually (over)used 2x as much as any other word on the list.

Surprisingly enough, 50% of that buzzword’s usage was in the United States. But why should responsibility be something that you tout to your online professional network. Saying that you’re responsible is fine when you’re babysitting or meeting someone’s parents before prom, but shouldn’t that just be a given by the time you’re an adult?

I put it in the same buzzword category as “professional,” as in “Yeah, I hope that you’re a responsible professional.” When you use silly fluff words like these, you’re just melding with all the jargon heads out there on the internet.

The good news is, with so much buzz going around, it’s much easier to stand out from the crowd.

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